Coin-controlled lock for carriers



Aug. 4, 1925.

W. J. GOUDEAU COIN` CONTROLLED LOCK FOR CARRIERS Filed April 9, 1921 Ill.. 5 n

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Patented Aug. 4, 1925.

UNITED STATES WILTO'N J'. GOUDEAU, OF GRIDER, ARKANSAS.

COIN-CONTROLLED LOCK FOR CARRIERS.

Application filed April 9, 1921.

To all whom` t may concern:

Be it known that I, l/VILTo-N J. GoUDEiAU, a citizen of the United States, r'esiding at Grider, in the county of Mississippi and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Controlled Locks for Carriers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to vending systems or self-serving store systems of that character in which carriers or baskets operable on endless conveyors are shifted by the buyer until the properl basket is exposed, the basket or carrier then being opened bythe insertion of a coin.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a coin controlled lock particularly adapted to be used in connection with baskets or carriers of the character above stated, which is particularly convenient and simple, and in which the cover of the basket or carrier is held closed by a hasp released upon the introduction of a coin.

Other purposes have to do with the details of construction and arrangement of parts as will appear more fully hereinafter.

lVhile the design and construction at preskent illustrated and set forth is deemed preferable, it is obvious that as a result of a reduction of the invention to a more practical form for commercial purposes, the invention may be susceptible of changes, and the right to these changes is claimed, provided they 35 are comprehended within the scope of what is Claimed.

The invention comprises further' features and combination of parts, as will be hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view showing the casing of a vending machine, and

4showing the endless conveyor or chain, with the baskets mounted thereon.

VFigure 2 is an enlarged detail view o f the brake mechanism for the lower shaft of the conveyor,lto permit the shaft and the conveyor from being operated too rapidly.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vie-w in side elevation of one of the baskets or carriers as mounted on the conveyor, showing one corner of the basket broken away, in order to show the lock between the slide or plunger and the cover.

Serial No. 459,878.

.Figure 4 is an enlarged detail sectional view through the coin controlled lock.

.Figure 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view of the coin controlled lock.

Figure V6 is a view in front elevation of the upper part of the basket showing the lock mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a casing, which may be any suitable construction or contour, and constructed of any suitable material. Mounted in bearings of the upper part in the casing is a sha-ft 2 having a sprocket wheel 3, and mounted in the lower part is a shaft l having a crank 5, there being a suitable brake 6 for preventing the shaft from being rotated too rapidly. This brake comprises a band bent upon itself to provide opposing arms 7, this band being attached to the casing, as at 8. The arms 7 are forme-d to provide circular gripping jaws 9, the bent terminals 10 of which receive a screw 11 provided with a thumb nut 12. By tightening up on the thumb nut, the semi-circular jaws 9 may be actuated to bear frictionally on the periphery of a disc 13 fixed to the shaft e, thereby acting to retard the action of the shaft. The casing 1 has a door a hinge-d at b, for closing the opening d, there being a suitable latch g to hold the door closed.

A sprocket 7L is carried by the shaft 4, and engaging` about the sprocket 7L and the sprocket 3 is an endless conveyor or chain c, to which is connected at intervals baskets or carriers m, in which the articles to be purchased are located.V Each basket (which is constructed of a heavy wire frame fn, with mesh work bottom, sides and end pieces g) has a cover or closure fw, which is hinged at p, and is provided with a keeper e.

Secured in any suitable manner as at 11i to the side of the basket or carrier is a casing 15 of a coin controlled lock. This lock (which is similar to that described and illusl trated in the copending application of Wilton J. Goudeau, for vending machines for grocery commodities, filed September 18, 1920, Serial No. 111,185) has its housing or casing provided with a guide 18 for the rehousing 20 and has a coin passage 23. This passage extends through the body 2O so as to permit of the passage of Vthe coin 24. The bottom of the passage is inclined, so as to cause the coin 24 to roll -tovvard the chute 26. One of the side Walls ot 'the coin passage is provided with a ledge 28 having a pair ot stops 29 and 30. The side Wall oic the lateral portion of the coin passage 23 has an add-i; tional ledge or shoulder 31, Which acts to guide the sha1-ikv 19 of the hasp, and pivoted on one side ot 'the hasp vshank 19 as at 32 is a d'og 33 provided With a beveled end 34. rllne end of the dog 33, when the -hasp shank 1r9-is in areseated or normal position, engages the stop shoulder 29 and prevents the hasp shank 19 from being actuated. VFastened securely at on one side of the dog and positioned directly above the incline 25 is afcoin `engage'd 'guide 36.V This guide 36 is inclined relatively to the side or the hasp shank 19 and to .the incline 25, so that When the Acoin travels fdfown the inclination 25, it

uwill become positioned under the Acoin guide 36 and act to cam the dog upwardly permittingtheslrank 19 oli' the hasp to be puller outward. A flight coiled spring 37 is connfec'te'd tothe rear portion ofthe hasp shank 19 asfat '38, and in turn is connected to one of the screws 35, thereby acting to hold the dog normally in engagement with the stop shoulder 29.

The shank 19 has a lateral portion 39 terminatino* in an anni 40, which is parallel to V slrank 19. Tflfre sl'rank 19 operates through an opei'iing41 in the front Wall of the basket or carrier, A-While the arm 40 operates through an lJe-nfing '42, so Ythat its terminal may en gage with ttl-re notch 43 of the keeper e, there by holding the cover or felosure in a closed position. 'ilhe coin chute 26 connects at 44 with a Acon'ventional form ot com bof; 45, which i'stastened fin any suitable manner as at '46 to the side ot the basket, carrier, or receptacle.

Obviously 'when a coin is inserted @through the jeoin chute, it rolls down the incline 25, and engages under fthe vcoin guideG, thereby raisingl 'che dog tromjcontact With the shoulder or stop'29, in which case 'the pull lever 1i9 is tree toy be `ivithdravvn, and when Withdraivn, thei'c'oin "will roll into the chute 2G, and thence intothe fcoifn box. When the pull lever is Withdrawn, the terminal ot the arm disengages from the notch ot the keeper, thereby releasing-fthe cover, which may be lifted, to permit the purchaser to remove the desired article.

VVhile rsim-plya plain hinge door or closure la `is nemployed in connection with the casing` 1,it is obvious that a mechanism such as sho'vvn fin the application tiled September 18, 1920Serial No. 411,185, tor actuating the endless conveyor may be used in connectionjvlith the door or closure, iso that when the door or closure is opened the endless conveyor may be operated. Also it is obvious that a second coin controlled lock may be used in connection with the door a, so thaty When a pull bai-r such as 19 is Withdrawn, the door u, may be opened, as in said'application above mentioned. Furthermore it is to be understood that While this coin controlled lock is designed for use in connection with a vending machine tor vending grocery commodities, it is obvious that the coin controlled lock may be applied to a vending machine for vending any articles. y

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as being usetullis': A

1. In a check `controlled lock for contaim ers, 4the combination with a container including a cover therefor having a keeper, ra

lock casing carriedby the 'container "includW ing a guide, a locking nlien'iber mounted in the Guide of the casing and provided With a return bent arm engaging the keeper of the cover, the interior of 'the flock casing having an abutment, Aa gravity member carried by the locking member engage'able with the abutment to lock the return bent arrn'in engagement with the keeper, fand a'device Carr-red by thegravity member to be engaged by a check to raise the member out 'of .en` gafgement With the abutment tolpermit the locking member to be actuated to release the cover.

2. In a cheek controlled lock for containers, the combination with a. `container including a cover having a keeper, of a lock casing vconnected to the wall oi 'the container aind provided With a guide, a locking member yoperable in the guide, and having means to engage said keeper, the interior 'of the casing having an abutment, a gravity member pivoted on the lorekifnvr member and disposed in the path of enfgageablewith the abutment, the interior of the casing having i'an inclined guide, a chute on the casing, the locking member having an opening registrable with the chute to permit a check ,passing through the chute to drop into and roll dfoWnthe inclined .guide in a direction toward the ygravity member, and means on the gravity member to be enga-ged -by said cheek, to raise therrgravity member from the :path of the abutment,y whereby the locking mem'-` ber may be Withdrawn to ldrisengzal'ge `its means from the keeper. l Y

3. a fcheckcontrolled lock for container closures, the combination with a'lock casing including -a chute and alocking mein'- ber operable in the-casing, the ilocki'ngmem ber having an lopening `registrable with the chute and Aprovided With holdingmeana a keeper carried by the coverof av container to be engaged by the holding means, 1a. gravity member` 'operatively mounted on ithe Alocking member, means on the `interior of the casing to be engaged by the gravity member to retain the holding means in engagement with the keeper, a cam on said gravity member, and means on the interior of the casing to guide a check to be passed through the chute into engagement with the cam to raise the gravity member out of engagement with the member engaging means to release the holding means from engagement with the keeper.

4. In a device for the purpose set forth, a check controlled lock for container closures, a keeper carried by the closure, a lock casing carried by the container and provided with a passage to receive an actuating check, a locking member mounted in the casing for reciprocating movement, and provided with an opening registrable with the passage to permit of the passage of said check, said locking memberyhaving an arm engageable with the keeper, tiltable means carried by the locking member to retain the arm in engagement with the keeper, means on the interior of the casing to be engaged by the tiltable means of the locking member, an inclined cam carried by the tiltable means to be engaged by said check to raise the tiltable means out of engagement with the holding means which is engaged by the tiltable means, whereby the locking member may be actuated.

5. As an article of manufacture, a check controlled lock for container closures, a keeper carried by the closure, a lock casing carried by the container and provided with a passage to receive said check, a locking member mounted in the casing for reciprocating movement and provided with an opening registrable with the passage to permit of the passage of said check, said locking member having an arm engageable with the keeper, tiltable means carried by the locking member to retain the arm in engagement with the keeper, means on the interior of the casing to be engaged by the tiltable means to prevent movement of the locking member, an inclined cam carried by the tiltable means to be engaged by said check to raise the tiltable means out of engagement with the holding means which is engaged by the tiltable means, whereby the locking member may be actuated, the interior of the casing having an inclined surface on which the check is guided toengage the inclined cam.

6. As an article of manufacture, a check controlled lock for container closures, a keeper carried by the closure, la. lock casing carried by the container and provided with a passage to receive said check, a locking member mounted in the casing for reciprocating movement and provided with an opening registrable with the passage to permit of the passage of said check, said locking member having an arm engageable with the keeper, tiltable means carried by the locking member to retain the arm in engagement with the keeper, means on the interior of the casing to be engaged by the tiltable means to prevent movement of the locking member, an inclined ca-m carried by the tiltable means to be engaged by said check to raise the tiltable means out of engagement with the holding means which is engaged by the tiltable means, whereby the locking member may be actuated, the interior of the casing having an inclined surface on lwhich the check is guided to engage the inclined cam, iand a guide surface on the interior of the casing to be engaged by the tiltable means when the locking member is withdrawn, and means at one end of the guide surface to be engaged by the tiltable means to limit the locking member in its withdrawing movement.

7. The combination with a container including a cover having a keeper and a casing mounted on the container, of an approximately U-shaped locking hasp having one leg adapted to engage the keeper and having its other leg extending into the casing and having longitudinal movement therein suiiicient to remove the first named leg from its engagement with the keeper, and means disposed within the casing land holding the hasp from movement, and coinoperated means for releasing said holding means.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aiiix my signature.

WILTON J. GOUDEAU. 

